A Message to HEAT Nation from Micky Arison

Micky Arison takes a walk down memory lane, recapping the amazing accomplishments this team has seen since he purchased the team 19 years ago. We should be thankful we have an owner that is ever so dedicated to the team and the City of Miami, putting all that he has into us building a contender year after year.

While what your Miami HEAT has accomplished in the last four years has been historic, there’s a bigger picture that more clearly defines the success we have enjoyed as a franchise. Since I took control of the team in 1995 and brought Pat Riley in to run our Basketball Operations, the HEAT has made the Playoffs in 16 of those 19 full seasons, with five Eastern Conference titles and three NBA championships highlighting those Playoff appearances. The HEAT are one of only seven teams to have won a championship during that span and, of those seven teams, we are one of only four teams to win multiple championships. To get an even better idea of our record of excellence, consider that of the six NBA franchises established at or around the time the HEAT joined the NBA, only one other team has even appeared in the NBA Finals, with only the HEAT winning an NBA title.
From blockbuster trades for Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal, to drafting Dwyane Wade, all of whom are future Hall of Famers, to executing the most significant free agency acquisitions in league history when we acquired Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, your Miami HEAT have established themselves as an elite NBA franchise and have maintained a consistent level of on-court excellence, defining our legacy as a championship organization. The fact that we have done all of this before celebrating our 30th Anniversary points out that we are the youngest NBA franchise to achieve this type of success and one of only 15 NBA franchises to win an NBA championship in the league’s 68-year history. And while those accomplishments speak for themselves, I’m here to tell you something else: we are not done; not even close.